Pancake Breakfast fundraiser

The Oxford Lions Club will host an All-You-Can-Eat Pancake Breakfast from 8 to 10 a.m. Oct. 9 at the Applebee’s Restaurant in Oxford. Tickets are $5 each or two for $10. Proceeds will help the club in its fight to prevent blindness and make a difference to everyone in the community. Advance tickets only. RSVP by Oct. 6. For more information, call Ron Kitchens at 915-5038 or e-mail ccronk@olemiss.edu. (September 28, 2010)

Red Cross Community Class

The American Red Cross will offer an adult, child and infant CPR/AED/First Aid community class from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Oct. 23. The cost of the class is $50. All classes are held at the Red Cross Office, 106 Skyline Drive. Interested participants should contact the Red Cross office at 662-236-1282 to register. Pre-registration is required for the class. (September 28, 2010)

C.A.R.E. Support Group Luncheon

The Caring for Aging Relatives Effectively (C.A.R.E.) support and exchange group meets for lunch at noon on the last Wednesday of the month at Azalea Gardens Assisted Living Community. This is an informal gathering that provides those in caring situations an opportunity to exchange ideas, resources and concerns with others. A light lunch is provided compliments of Azalea Gardens, 100 Azalea Drive. All caregivers are welcome and can get more information by contacting Sandra Enfinger at 234-9600 or Jo Ann O’Quin at joquin@olemiss.edu. (September 27, 2010)

Zumba Class

Zumba is a Latin-inspired, easy-to-follow, calorie-burning fitness party. Do you want to sweat without all the hard work? Then come join the Zumba party at Oxford-University United Methodist Church. $2 per person and everyone is invited to attend every Tuesday and Thursday evening from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. beginning Tuesday, Sept. 28. (September 20, 2010)

World Alzheimer’s Day Ceremony

In recognition of World Alzheimer’s Day on Tuesday, the community is invited to a brief ceremony and reception in recognition of those who have suffered with dementia and their caregivers. The gathering will begin at 5:15 p.m. at the University of Mississippi Museum’s outdoor sculpture, “Bardo of Rose,” a visual tribute to those touched by Alzheimer’s and related diseases. Located at the corner of University Avenue and 5th Street, the ceremony will also include refreshments and details about a new comunity program, “Memory Makers: Respite Day Services of Oxford,” will be announced. For more information, contact Jo Ann O’Quin at joquin@olemiss.edu or Dianne Arnold at 662-846-5335. (September 17, 2010)

Alzheimer’s Caregiver Support Group

The Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Caregiver Support Group will meet at 7 p.m. Monday at the Azalea Gardens Senior Care Community, 100 Azalea Drive. Since the group is meeting on Labor Day, the theme of the discussion will be: “While Caregiving is a Labor of Love, it is still Labor.” The meeting is open to all caregivers interested in those with Alzheimer’s and related memory loss disorders. Those interested in the group are encouraged to request to be on its e-mail list. Refreshments will be provided compliments of Azalea Gardens. For more information, contact Jo Ann O’Quin, UM Department of Social Work, at 915-7199 or joquin@olemiss.edu. (September 1, 2010)

Grief Support Group

North Mississippi Hospice will sponsor a grief support group meeting at noon Thursday, Sept. 9, at Azalea Gardens in Oxford. The meeting is open to anyone who has experienced loss. A light lunch will be provided. For more information, call 234-0140. (August 31, 2010)

Red Cross

The American Red Cross will offer an Adult, Child, and Infant CPR community class from 5:30 to 9 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 20. The cost of the class is $35. All classes are held at the Red Cross Office at 106 Skyline Drive. Interested participants should contact the Red Cross office at 236-1282 to register. Pre-registration is required for the class. (August 30, 2010)

5K Walk Benefit

The Exchange Club Family Center of Oxford and the Ole Miss Kappa Delta Sorority will host a 5k “Walk Away From Child Abuse” at 8 a.m. Saturday at the Mid-Town Shopping Center on North Lamar Boulevard.

Last year, 8,057 evidenced-based child abuse cases were recorded in Mississippi. That number is staggering when research shows that only about 15 percent of child abuse cases are actually reported, according to the Exchange Club.

The Exchange Club Family Center, a child abuse prevention organization, is teaming up with the Ole Miss Kappa Delta Sorority to sponsor a walk in an effort to stomp out child abuse in north Mississippi. Participants can register on line at www.soldiers4stan.org or at the event on the day of the walk beginning at 7:30 a.m. For more information, call 234-4255. (August 22, 2010)

NAMI Support Groups

NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Family Support Group provides support and encouragement to people who have someone with a mental illness in their family. The group meets in the administration building of the North Mississippi Regional Center from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays.

NAMI Connection is a weekly recovery support group for people living with mental illness. People learn from each others’ experiences, share coping strategies, and offer encouragement and understanding. It meets Sundays 3:30-5 p.m. at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi in the Magnolia Room. For more information on both groups, call NAMI Mississippi at 1-800-357-0388. (August 22, 2010)